Anti-microbial utility and kitchen wipe utilizing metallic silver as an oligodynamic agent

Abstract

A long-lasting antimicrobial wipe using metallic silver as the oligodynamic agent. The wipe has an outer layer of a flexible textile fabric having metallic silver deposited thereon, bonded to an inner layer of a fibrous water-retaining material. The silver is preferably deposited on the textile fabric by electroless coating, to provide efficient coverage of all available surfaces.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . An anti-microbial wipe, comprising: 
 (a) a silver impregnated flexible textile layer; and    (b) a fibrous water-retaining layer connected to the textile layer.    
     
     
         2 . The anti-microbial wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the textile layer is formed of a plurality of yarns, each yarn including silver.  
     
     
         3 . The anti-microbial wipe of  claim 1 , further comprising a second silver impregnated flexible textile layer connected to one of the textile layer and the water retaining layer to dispose the water retaining layer intermediate the flexible textile layer and the second silver impregnated flexible textile layer.  
     
     
         4 . The anti-microbial wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the textile layer is between 3% and 25% by weight active silver.  
     
     
         5 . The anti-microbial wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the water retaining layer is bonded to a portion of the flexible textile layer.  
     
     
         6 . The anti-microbial wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the water retaining layer is a micro fiber structure having a weight of approximately 0.3 to 50 oz. per square yard.  
     
     
         7 . The anti-microbial wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous water retaining layer is hydrophilic.  
     
     
         8 . The anti-microbial wipe of  claim 2 , wherein the silver is deposited on the yarns by a plating process.  
     
     
         9 . The anti-microbial wipe of  claim 2 , wherein the plating process is one of PVD, CVD, CCVD and electroless coating.  
     
     
         10 . The antimicrobial wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the silver impregnated flexible textile layer is a woven fabric with warp threads and weft threads.  
     
     
         11 . The antimicrobial wipe of  claim 10 , wherein each of the warp threads and weft threads comprises a plurality of yarns.  
     
     
         12 . The antimicrobial wipe of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible textile layer has a weight of approximately 0.5 to 8 oz. per square yard.  
     
     
         13 . An anti-microbial wipe, comprising: 
 (a) a textile cationic impregnated fabric layer; and    (b) a fibrous water retaining layer connected to the fabric layer.    
     
     
         14 . The anti-microbial wipe of  claim 13 , wherein the water retaining layer is a micro fiber structure having a weight of approximately 0.3 to 50 oz. per square yard.  
     
     
         15 . The anti-microbial wipe of  claim 13 , wherein the fibrous water retaining layer is hydrophilic.  
     
     
         16 . The anti-microbial wipe of  claim 13 , wherein the cationic impregnated fabric layer includes silver.  
     
     
         17 . The anti-microbial wipe of  claim 16 , wherein the silver is deposited on the yarn by physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition including electroless deposition or plating.  
     
     
         18 . The anti-microbial wipe of  claim 13 , wherein the fabric layer is approximately 3 percent to 18 percent weight of silver.  
     
     
         19 . An anti-microbial wipe, comprising: 
 (a) a textile fabric impregnated with an oligodynamic anti-microbial agent; and    (b) a micro fiber hydrophilic moisture retaining layer connected to the textile layer.    
     
     
         20 . The anti-microbial wipe of  claim 19 , wherein the fabric has approximately 3 to 18 percent weight of silver.  
     
     
         21 . The anti-microbial wipe of  claim 19 , wherein the anti-microbial wipe is free of volatile anti-microbial agents.  
     
     
         22 . The anti-microbial wipe of  claim 19 , wherein the oligodynamic anti-microbial agent is selected from the group of elements consisting of Ag, Au, Pt, Pd, Ir, Cu, Sn, Sb, Bi and Zn.  
     
     
         23 . The anti-microbial wipe of  claim 19 , wherein the textile fabric is a nylon composition.  
     
     
         24 . The anti-microbial wipe of  claim 23 , wherein the nylon composition has been modified to provide an affinity for cationic plating.